# How much humidity should I keep my Habanos at?



## Rammstein (Oct 31, 2014)

I've heard a lot say 65% but I read that 70% is the best to age them at is this true?


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## Matyoka (Apr 10, 2015)

I keep mine at 70% if possible but never less than 65%. Some members swear by the optimum humidity being at 65%... that is my lowest number.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

A lot of info out there as far as what is the best RH and temps for any cigar and you're going to read that the best environment for them is that you want them to be as close to the initial environment they came from,,,,,70/70 where they thrive best. Now I understand that most tobacco is in warmer climate into the 90 degree temps.....this is not a part of how to store them. Most will split the difference and store them at 65% which is actually where I store mine at and have great success but I tend to like them more towards 70% because of the taste profile they have. When I smoke them I will put them in another humidor to drybox them and then will smoke them after 2 days....mmmmm....wonderful. I know others who will store them at 62% and I've tried that...but they smoke too dry for my tastes and to spend $15 for a dry cigar just isn't going to satisfy me. As with what most say...smoke what you like but at least try different approaches to give yourself a chance to like them in different ways.


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## egoo33 (Jul 21, 2013)

I store eveything at 60-62 never had a problem


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

I find mine to smoke best around 62%. That's what my "going to smoke soon" cigars are kept at. 

However, I believe that aging them at a higher rH is also a wise move, as I don't feel that 62% makes sense long-term because the oils dry out, leaving less flavor. So the ones I have laid down are at a higher rH, and the ones I'm going to smoke in the near future, I move to the 62% humi.


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## thegunslinger (Aug 3, 2012)

It's a subjective topic. Everyone has their own taste. Experiment and find out where you like it best.

I keep mine around 65%.


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## Laynard (Oct 10, 2013)

For me, long term storage is at 70%, and my ready-to-smoke humi is 63% for both CCs and NCs.


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

thegunslinger said:


> Experiment and find out where you like it best.


This. Get three small tupperwares, three identical sticks (or several sets of three sticks) and divide between the three tupperwares, and put in different packs of Bovedas. Let them sit for a couple months, then smoke the cigars side by side and see what you prefer.

The only thing that's tough to experiment on is the long term storage, but that's all about theory.


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## elco69 (May 1, 2013)

thegunslinger said:


> It's a subjective topic. Everyone has their own taste. Experiment and find out where you like it best.
> 
> I keep mine around 65%.


Like thegunslinger has said, it is very subjective, you ask 10 people, you are gonna get 10 different answers. I personal keep my sticks at 65/65 give or take. I have personally spoke to guys like Pete Johnson from Tatuaje and Matt Booth from Namakube/Room 101 and they said as long as you keep them between 60 and 70 you should be ok. A suggestion was made to me, store them for about 6 months then have like 3 tuperdores kept at 62%, 65%, and 69%. Put a couple of the same sticks in each one for a month or so and smoke them, this will help tell you what works best. I firmly believe that the RH you keep them at also depends on your environment when you smoke them. Ex. If I go to Vegas in the summertime, I pump up the RH a week before, for the sticks that I bring down sometimes that is still not good enough. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I find my smokes taste best when smoked at 65-68%.


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## Rick Hendeson (Apr 8, 2014)

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> This. Get three small tupperwares, three identical sticks (or several sets of three sticks) and divide between the three tupperwares, and put in different packs of Bovedas. Let them sit for a couple months, then smoke the cigars side by side and see what you prefer.


LOL. If you have figured out the trick to get two CCs to taste the same, let me know!


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Rick Hendeson said:


> LOL. If you have figured out the trick to get two CCs to taste the same, let me know!


Get a good box code.


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## DanyBoyBrazil (Apr 4, 2015)

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> Get a good box code.


LOL


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Low 60's.
70/70, will severely change the flavor profile of a Habano. Fact is, the 70/70 rule was promoted by a few NC's, especially for their maduros.


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## alexlee (Apr 22, 2015)

70% is the best


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## lostmedic (Apr 27, 2015)

I see people quite frequently state that they have to RH setups for storage vs soon to be smoked. I'm curious on why 62-65% is better then the 70% that I store my cigars at. Also that being said how long would it take for the RH to drop from the base storage level of 70% down to the said smoking level of 62-65% if I take them from one humidor to the other?


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

As SmartBull said even though the 70/70 principle is a stated goal for cigars it doesn't fit the CC market...most followers will store their stock in the low 60's while I tend to keep mine at 65% for my own personal tastes. If you want to change the RH from 70% down to 65 factor in that it's going to take some weeks depending on the relative size...Robustos will take less time while Churchills will take longer. Split the difference and I'd say to bring them down to 65 would probably take at least a month so that the entire stick is at 65%...not just some areas of the cigar.


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## the_brain (May 1, 2011)

*Brain*: There is storage and ready-to-smoke. Bull and Gary already nailed this... 65% for storage and low 60's for smoking... Too high on storage and things grow on them, too low and the lose flavor before hitting thier prime... My Lusi locker is at 65%/65 degrees, and my ready to smoke wineador is at 62%/65 degrees...

*Pinky*: The Ninja was also right, test what tastes best for you...


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

the_brain said:


> *Brain*: There is storage and ready-to-smoke. Bull and Gary already nailed this... 65% for storage and low 60's for smoking... Too high on storage and things grow on them, too low and the lose flavor before hitting thier prime... My Lusi locker is at 65%/65 degrees, and my ready to smoke wineador is at 62%/65 degrees...
> 
> Would love to see your Lusi...I think I just made a joke here.


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## the_brain (May 1, 2011)

Cigary said:


> Would love to see your Lusi...I think I just made a joke here.


*Brain*: What's wrong with having a temp and rh controled chest freezer dedicated to aging our favorite stick, in both regular and GR form...

*Pinky*: Egad, I don't see anything wrong with it...


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

If a Lusi Locker is wrong, I don't wanna be right.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

To the OP...
test for yourself..."I did"
take 4 cigars from the same box.
store 2 in tupperware at 70 for a month and store 2 at 60 for the same time....them decide for your self........send the remaining 2 to a friend, and see if he can tell the difference. 
If you remove the band, I bet he doesn't realize they are from the same box...


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## avitti (Jun 4, 2011)

Another thing to consider when finding your desired humidity level is how fast you smoke a cigar.If you tend to smoke fast you may want to keep your cigars at 64-65 rh.The reason being if you store at a drier rh 60-62 you will make the tobacco hot with a quicker burn and you will lose out on the subtle flavor and nuances.


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